Osun probes N1.7b project

Osun State Government has invited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to probe the contractor handling the Free Trade Zone project.The state governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, disclosed this in Ede while responding  to questions by the Chief Imam of Ede central mosque, Sheikh Hussein Akajewole, on why work stalled in the Free Trade Zone.The governor  explained that he ordered the stoppage of construction work on the six stadia for which his predecessor borrowed a huge loan to execute to re-order and address the needs of the people.The governor said on perusing the file, he was shocked that, a total sum of N1.7 billion was claimed to have been expended in the Free Trade Zone in Ede.The content of the file, according to him, disagreed with the feasibility study report on the facility saying if you hear what they did on the Free Trade Zone, the fear of God will strike you. They claimed to have spent N1.7 billion in the Free Trade Zone but we cannot see what they spent the money on. The place is desolate.He added that, the former governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, gave the Free Trade Zone project to his friend who has absconded. The contractor did not use the money for the project he was given to execute and he is now at large, he stressed.Governor Aregbesola then announced that he had directed that the matter be referred to the EFCC for further action.Speaking further on why he ordered the stoppage of construction works in Ede Stadium, Aregbesola explained that all projects being carried out with the N18.3 billion loan secured by Oyinlola were affected by the directive including the one in Ilesa, his hometown.Giving reasons for his directive, Aregbesola said  I asked myself whether the stadium is our priority when the state is faced with hunger, poverty, youth unemployment and misery There is no industry, no road, schools are dilapidated and a government went to borrow money to build six stadia. He stressed further that it was after a careful consideration of what should be the priority of the state that I then ordered the contractors handling the six stadia to stop work pending further assessment on the utilisation of the N18.3 billion loan. According to him, I am surprised that a man  could go and borrow huge loan to execute six stadia at a time like this when the economy is parlous and our people are grappling with poverty. The stadium project was meant to defraud the people. The stadia in Iwo, Ikirun, Ile-Ife and Ilesa were all stopped. It was not just that of Ede.
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